Despite the Odds
by lexiconophilia
Summary: Aria Montgomery and Spencer Hastings have left the town of Rosewood in their rearview mirror and are attempting to, slowly but surely, move on to bigger and better things, side by side. Unfortunately, the larger their secret grows, the harder it becomes to hide from wandering eyes. Love is love, as they say; but, is that enough to help two women in love fight for what is right?
1. Don't be Afraid, I'm Here

"Okay, Aria. Take deep breaths and relax."

I breathed in and out, inhaled and exhaled, and psyched myself up for what was about to happen. I felt so vulnerable, my legs perched in the stirrups, hence making me immobile, and the doctor at the end of the bed. I felt the sharp pain I had prepared myself for, and it was much worse than I expected. My eyes clenched shut and tears began to fall down my cheeks.

"Take my hand, baby," Spencer whispered into my ear and stroked my head. I immediately did so, and I clutched her hand so hard my own fingers went numb.

Suddenly, the pain stopped, and the doctor removed the apparatus from between my legs and smiled up at me. "All done. You did great, and if I'm correct, you just got pregnant."

Spencer smiled warmly at me, and she ran her thin fingers through my wavy chocolate tresses. "I'm so proud of you, Ar. We did it."

"Hell yeah we did," I panted, taking her hand again,"how long until I can take a test to confirm the pregnancy?"

"You can take an at-home test in three weeks," the doctor replied, "but until then, do not overwhelm yourself. It's not good for the foetus."

"I'll make sure she remains completely phlegmatic, I promise," Spencer grinned, staring at me.

"What does that even mean?" I asked, rolling my eyes back into my head.

"Calm, babe. It means 'calm,'" she answered with a laugh.

I smiled and shook my head. "I see my fiancée has been reading the Thesaurus for fun again."

"Oh, c'mon hon. You know you adore me," she kissed my head.

"Yeah, I definitely do. Thank you so much, Doctor Kent. For everything. I can't believe Spence and I are gonna have a baby, all thanks to you." I said, attempting to force back tears.

"God, it's no trouble at all. You're an amazing couple, and you both are going to make excellent mothers. I'll schedule your appointment for next time, okay?" Lisa smiled before stepping out into the hallway.

Spencer helped me up off the chair, and led me to a wheelchair. "Hospital policy, babe."

I sat down, and reached up to hold my fiancée's hand as she wheeled me out of the hospital, and my other hand rested on my stomach. "Spencer, you do realize that there's a probability that I could be carrying twins, right?"

"Well, then I hope they'll both look exactly like you. I've always wanted to have little mini you's running around our house." She laughed as we turned a corner.

"You never told me that. Since when?!"

"Since, like, the seventh grade," she shrugged her shoulders.

"You're kidding," I turned back to stare at her.

She shook her head with a giggle and pushed me through a corridor. "No, seriously. I had your ring picked out and everything by the time I was fifteen."

"Babe, I have literally had a massive crush on you since middle school! No wonder you were always daydreaming around me in American Lit." I exclaimed with a smirk.

She blushed, her cheeks turning an ever so bright vermillion, and her eyes grew wide. "Y-you saw that?"

I laughed and kissed her hand. "Spence, I love you, but you drooled a little bit. Not exactly inconspicuous. It was a major turn on, though."

"It was?"

I leaned up to stroke her cheek before whispering in her ear. "The only way I could get off with Fitz was when I was thinking about you. He would never satisfy my needs like I knew you could."

"Oh, you dirty little shit!" She chuckled in an embarrassed quiver, pushing me along at a slightly quicker pace.

"Why don't we go home and have a little fun tonight?" I smirked seductively, caressing her slender fingers.

Her voice caught in her throat, and she struggled to regain her thoughts over her intense libido. "Y-yeah, of course. Anything for my possibly pregnant fiancée."

I leaned back and reveled in my victory, before seeing someone familiar out of the corner of my eye. My complexion whitened into a pasty porcelain, and I clutched Spencer's hand.

"Oh my god, fuck. This can't be happening." I mumbled under my breath as I tried to avoid eye contact with the young man across the room.

"Ar, baby, are you okay?" Spencer asked, concern and fear lining her voice. "What is it?"

"M-my brother," I managed as I stared up at her,"he's here."

"Oh, thank god. I thought you were gonna say that you saw our estranged parents lingering outside." She exhaled, watching as I frowned visibly. "Sorry. Wait, who the hell is that? Next to Mike?"

"Some chick," I rolled my eyes.

"We just can't get lucky with this, can we? Do you wanna try to sneak out of here behind his back?"

"Yes, please," I sighed, rubbing my thigh with my hand.

Spencer tried her hardest to avoid Mike's gaze, but he saw us out of the corner of his eye. His cheeks flushed white and he hurried over to us. I was forced to release my lover's hand from my grasp, and that made me even more nervous.

"Aria, where in the hell have you been?! Mom has been looking everywhere for you for the last two years!" He shouted at me.

She got in between my brother and I and gave him possibly the dirtiest stare I've ever seen. "Back off, Mike. Don't talk to her like that."

"She's my sister, Spencer, not yours! Why are you even here?!" Mike asked with a roar.

"I could ask you the same question." I rolled my eyes. "Who's that girl who was on your arm?"

"She's my-I mean, she's nobody,"

"Mike..."

"She's my girlfriend, alright? Her name's Lila, and we are here for a consultation." He caved, before eyeing me with determination on his brow. "Your turn."

"We're here for our IVF appointment, smart ass," I revealed with a smile.

"Who's we? Is Ezra here?" He asked, searching eagerly over my shoulder.

Spencer and I looked at each other prior to breaking down laughing, her squeezing my hand in a timid ecstasy. Apparently, Mike didn't notice our affectionate gazes and wanton gestures.

"I'll, uh, give you a hint," Spencer smirked. She then waltzed around to the front of my wheelchair, bent down to be eye level with me, and began passionately making out with me after snaking her hand behind my neck. I made sure to, even in the midst of pure euphoric bliss, have my engagement ring visible to my naive little brother. When our lips parted, we turned to him in sync to catch a glimpse of the expression on his face: utter shock, terror, and confusion.

"What the fuck—" He managed before Spencer cut him off.

"We're engaged, dumbass!" She laughed as she kissed my cheek. "We have literally been dating for three years now, five if you count the sneaking-around phase."

"Don't act so surprised, Mike," I scoffed, feigning offense.

Mike began stuttering, and tried to think of what to say next. "But...Ezra..."

"Ezra came onto me, okay? He took advantage of a minor. Spencer saved me, and I saved Spencer." I replied.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly.

"Well, Wren was a shitty human being, and I wasn't happy. Then...Aria came into my life as more than a friend, something I've wanted since middle school. Truth be told, I have never seen your sister this happy in a long time." Spencer answered, pushing some loose hairs out of my face. "She's the love of my life."

"Spencer's the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, and we're gonna have a family together," I grinned up at her.

"Wow...I-I didn't know...I'm sorry." Mike murmured sadly. "Is that why you're here? To do an IVF?"

Spence and I exchanged excited glances before turning back to Mike. "Guilty. There is a high chance that our first baby is right underneath my skin."

"Or, babies. The doctor told us to prepare mentally for twins in the next few weeks, as the IVF used two eggs." Spencer giggled.

"Oh my god, congratulations. On your engagement, your maybe-kid, everything. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help you, Ar." Mike smiled.

"Water under the bridge. Why're you here, with Lila?" I asked.

"If I tell you, you need to promise not to tell Mom and Dad," my baby brother bit his lip.

"I don't even have contact with 'em. You're safe. Just, please keep Spencer's and my relationship a secret from all Rosewood residents." I replied.

"Lila's pregnant, with my baby. She's from a super religious family, and she can't be a mother out of wedlock. So...we're terminating the pregnancy." Mike shed a few tears as he spoke.

My heart sunk inside my chest, and my jaw went slack. "Mike, I-I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted a family."

"I know, but there's just no way," he turned his head toward the wall.

"Mike, the way I see it, you have three options: get an abortion, run away, or marry that girl. If you elope, they'll be upset, but you can still have a family. If you ditch town like we did, chances are you'll live happily ever after in safety." Spencer whispered.

Mike looked over his shoulder at Lila, who was crying quietly across the room. "She wants this baby, too. I saw it in her eyes. Do you mind if I discuss this with her, and call you tomorrow?"

"Of course I don't," I answered, writing my phone number down on his hand,"here's my new number. I had to change it when we skipped town."

"Thanks," he smiled before walking away.

Spencer and I both exhaled as she began wheeling me out of the hospital's automatic doors, and I began laughing once we were out of earshot.

"Aria, what are you giggling about?" She smirked, laying her hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, nothing. Just that we just dodged a major friggin' bullet with my baby brother. He could've outed us, literally, to both of our parents, but he was actually a decent human being." I replied.

Spence chuckled and helped me into our onyx hybrid parked in the lot. When I winced in pain, she began freaking out, being the overprotective partner she always had been—and I wouldn't have my Spencer Hastings any other way.

"Oh, God, did that hurt? Baby, I'm sorry—"

"Babe, it's not your fault. I did just have a huge ass needle stuck into my vag by a doctor, so I'm a little sore." I shook my head as I pulled myself into the passenger seat.

"Ah, that's why you're being so sardonic: you're sore. Explains a lot." Spencer laughed, climbing into the car and starting the engine up with a roar.

I scoffed audibly, and looked at my soon-to-be wife. "Meaning what, Einstein?"

"Nothin'. I love you, Pookie Bear." She answered, cocking her head and looking behind her as she pulled out.

"Love you, too, hon."

* * *

 **A/N: So...yeah.**

 **Hi.**

 **I know, I know, I know. What the hell, right? I leave for God know's how long and then decide to saunter back in here with a wlw (of all things) fanfic about everyone's favourite non-canon ship: Sparia. Yes, I'm totally kidding; you probably don't ship them at all, but if you're anything like me, you're desperate for representation. Thus, I threw my fluff, angst, lesbian, and PLL obsessions into a massive blender and this piece of absolute sh*t emerged.**

 **I'm not even gonna bother trying to apologize at this point, because I know soooooooo(x∞) of you are absolutely pissed at me for discontinuing my Ezria fics. I just...stopped. It was abrupt.**

 **But, hey; I've rebranded (ezriaandliars to enochianprayers!), produced another shit fic, and am less dead inside than usual!**

 **I hope you can forgive me and give this guilty pleasure of mine a taste:)**

 **Your least favourite fanfic writer in all of existence,**

 **Dee.**

 **(This is one part out of an undetermined series (1/?). Help me out by letting me know if you liked this at all so I know what kind of content to post. Thanks.)**


	2. One, Two, Three, Look!

"Oh my god, I can't look,"

"I'm not looking! I'm gonna pass out."

"Spence, it's a stick on our bathroom counter,"

"That stick determines our future...okay, here we go,"

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three...what's it say?!"

Spencer was still standing there, mute and apparently deaf as well. I was getting more and more anxious by the second, and I couldn't take it anymore. I put my hand on her shoulder and proceeded to stand on my toes to see what was the prognosis: baby, or no baby. Once I made myself tall enough to see over her gigantic head, she had turned around and pulled me in closer to her bust.

"Ar, it's positive. The test is positive." Spencer rambled excitedly.

"That means...oh my _god_ , Spence!"

"We're having a baby!" She shouted in ecstasy, spinning me around in her arms.

We both began crying, and once she put me down, I kissed away her tears. "Hey, hormones are my excuse. What's yours?"

"I just-I've waited so, so long for this moment and it's still so surreal to wake up beside you or to hold you in my arms, let alone to imagine us raising a child together." She sobbed with a smile. "Aria, our future son or daughter is currently inside of you...I'm so excited, babe."

"Me too, baby," I shed more tears.

Spencer then wiped them away with the pads of her thumbs before swooping down to the floor and kissing my stomach. "Our little one is so damn lucky already. Us as parents, team Sparia? This gig is meant for us."

"I couldn't agree more, Spence," I chuckled, lifting her up off the floor and holding her close. After a minute, she spoke again.

"I have an idea, and just hear me out on this,"

"Give it to me, Hastings,"

"Okay...let's go down to city hall, and elope. Just you and I and a priest, a quiet ceremony. We both already have white dresses, and neither of us has friends or family to invite, so what's the wait?" She tucked my hair behind my ear, and pressed her midsection to mine. "Look, I know—"

"I'm gonna get dressed, and so should you. It's time for a white wedding." I breathed. "Let's get married, babe."

As soon as I sauntered into our shared wardrobe, she scratched her head and smiled. "That was surprisingly easy."

"C'mon, while it's still legal! We have a dumb-fuck as a president, so..." I shouted from the closet as I shed all my clothes.

"I couldn't agree more, Montgomery-soon-to-be-Hastings," she giggled in reply.

I slipped into my white lace sundress and gorgeous high heels as I watched my almost wife strip down completely from the crack in the closet door. Everything about her is beautiful: the way her subtle curves accent her body, her incredible and perky bust below her collarbone, the way every inch of skin meandered across her. I could go on for centuries as I ran my fingers all over her flesh, not leaving a single inch of her body untouched by my fingertips and my satin lips. Her moans made my heart quake, her touch my legs quiver beneath me, and her kiss my girlhood tremble.

I have never had a man tell me I'm beautiful. My own father never complimented me, nor did any of my previous boyfriends, Fitz included. He didn't bat an eye when I put on lingerie or a dress. Only one exception: my baby brother, Mike, on prom night; the same night I snuck out of my date with Noel Kahn to grind up against my female romantic interest in the secluded parking lot outside. We were seventeen.

Spencer, however, is unable to go a day without at least five passionate 'I love you's', two make out sessions, and one telling me how utterly gorgeous I am. Spencer Hastings' jaw drops when I change into a particularly revealing dress or nightie, and my eyes widen every time she shows more skin than usual.

When we kiss, we're in no hurry. When we have sex, our movements are so slow and deep, we are both transported to a perennial euphoria. Even when we hug or hold hands, we are making sure both parties are satisfied. If that's not unchallenged, eternal love, I don't know what is.

Before I knew it, I was walking out of the closet fully clothed, and I was greeted by the most beautiful sight on the planet: my love, my girlfriend, in a wedding dress. Her hair was curled and was as ribbons, her neck and ears were adorned with pearls and diamonds, and on her wrist she wore a rainbow beaded bracelet. I looked down at my own wrist through tears, and compared our matching accessories. At our first pride event in Philly, we had both been given these bracelets by a young teen and her girlfriend, who just wanted to share the joy of being out and together.

"Spencer...oh my god, you look so, so beautiful," I whispered as I approached her.

She turned to thank me, but couldn't find the words. Her eyes moved across the length of my body, taking in every detail, every jewel, and every inch of skin. When she finally found her voice again, she looked me in the eyes with a teary smile. "You're the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen. Words cannot describe how...happy I am right now. To marry you, after everything we've been through-god, I love you so much, Aria."

"Spence..." I wiped away a tear. I pressed my hand to her cheek and meekly stretched my lips into a smile. "Baby, I love you, too, but you're gonna ruin my mascara."

"You're the one who just emerged from the closet for, like, the second time," Spencer laughed.

I giggled with her, and kissed her before walking to the door. "Before this gets too lachrymose, I'm gonna start the car. It's a bit of a drive to Philadelphia."

"Okay, babe. I'll be out in a minute." She smirked at me in the mirror.

Once she waltzed into the garage and climbed into the passenger seat of the car, we both became extremely eager to go to city hall. After nearly an hour in the car, we giggled and walked hand in hand to the ginormous structure in the dead center of Philadelphia. We got quite a few stares and grimaces from cisgender, heterosexual, Caucasian men, but that was ordinary for us, a young lesbian couple in love. Soon enough, we were ushered into a courtroom where a woman sat in the judges seat. She gave us warm smiles and introduced herself.

"Hello, Ms. Hastings and Ms. Montgomery. I'm Martha King, and I'm going to be marrying you two today." She grinned. "Are you lovely ladies ready to start the ceremony?"

"We've been ready since we were sixteen years old," Spencer answered, keeping her eyes locked with mine. I took both her hands in mine and Martha began speaking.

By the time we were able to exchange rings, we were both bawling uncontrollably, but not messily. Our tears were neat, and thoughtful, and warm.

"I, Aria, take thee Spencer, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, until death do us part," I whispered ecstatically as I slid a diamond ring onto her finger, followed by a white gold band.

"I, Spencer, take thee Aria, to have and to hold, through sickness and health, wealth and poverty, in good times and bad, in tempests and storms, forever and ever, until death do us part," she managed through the tears clouding her eyes. She then slid a diamond-clad band onto my ring finger, and stared at me with wide, excited eyes.

We exhaled in sync, and I really had to fight the urge to make out with her right then and there.

Martha King took a deep breath, nodded at us, and smiled. "By the power vested in me by the state of Pennsylvania, I am so unbelievably proud to declare you wife and wife. Ladies, you may kiss your bride."

Spencer grasped my waist and pulled me into a deep, passionate, love-filled kiss, dipping me back as we locked our lips. Once we let go of each other, we thanked Mrs. King and walked out of the courtroom arm-in-arm, my head on her shoulder.

"I love you, Mrs. Hastings," Spencer murmured as we approached our car.

"And I love you, Mrs. Hastings. I love you more than words can describe." I sniffled.

We then hopped in the car and Spencer began driving us home to change. I admired my diamond ring the entire way, and my other hand was holding hers against my belly. I can't remember a drive during which we did not hold hands or kiss. It was practically Spencer's modus operandi, as she knew that my nerves were calmed by affectionate actions. Yet another reason why this woman's my soulmate.

Once we pulled into our driveway, we immediately jumped out of the car and ran upstairs to change our clothes. Though we looked fabulous, the dresses were less than comfortable, and the heels killed with every step. I slipped into my everyday outfit and waited for Spencer outside our bathroom.

"So, what's this mysterious honeymoon-esque location you're taking me to?" I asked in a seductive whisper.

She poked her head out the door and smirked. "It's a surprise, babe. You'll thank me later, too."

"I'll go anywhere, as long as we can have some intense, hot honeymoon sex afterwards," I leaned back against the wall.

"We will have the best sex ever, I promise," she giggled.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **After nearly an entire week of sweeping snippets and gerunds under the rug, this terrible human being has decided to update her friggin' story! Yay for being adequate, right?**

 **Short, but sweet: story of my life. This chapter, though not as lengthy as future ones will be, marks a new beginning for Aria and Spencer. Baby Hastings is now a reality (in my head, at least), and married life will twist the duo's lives in ways they didn't expect. The next post will contain some serious Rosewoodian drama (basically, if you like Emily Fields, feel free to skip the next chapter).**

 **'Till then, beautiful people!**

 **Peace out,**

 **Dee**


	3. Honeymooners

"Oh, come on! This is not my ideal honeymoon location." I slumped back into my seat and groaned.

Spencer wrapped her arm around my shoulders and kissed my head. "I know, baby. But, I was thinking about what you said last night, about making amends, and I think we should go and see—"

"Please don't say our parents," I winced.

"God, no. The girls, and maybe my sister. Then, we'll ditch, and see a romantic comedy or something. Deal?"

"You are so lucky that I love you...deal," I rolled my eyes and pecked her on the lips. She smiled as we kissed and we locked the car before walking to a nearby Italian restaurant.

"You hungry?" She asked with a smirk.

"Oh my GOD, I'm starving. These friggin' hormones!" I exclaimed in reply.

"How I love you, my beautiful pregnant wife," she sighed happily.

"I love you, too, Spence." I grinned. "I really hope there'll be nobody we know in there."

"Ditto, babe," she held my hand.

Once we were seated by a window at the back of the restaurant, we began looking at the menu. Spencer instinctively reached for my hand across the table and we locked eyes after a minute of silent hand holding. Young and in love, we laughed at the idea that we were now able to say we're going to be together forever, until death do us part. The deep admiration in her eyes met my loving gaze, and had a waitress not approached us, this would've gone on for all eternity.

"Hello, ladies. Are you here for a special occasion?" She asked sweetly.

"Actually, yes. We just got married." Spencer smiled happily across from me.

"Well, congratulations! Are you here on a honeymoon, then?"

"Not exactly. We were just in town visiting some family members, and we decided that this would be a perfect way to celebrate before all hell breaks loose." I replied with a laugh.

"Either way, we're glad you're here. So, what can I get to drink for you newlyweds? Champagne?" She asked.

"I'll just take an ice water, please." I said, running my hand through my hair. "Spence?"

"I'll take a vodka soda, thanks," she grinned. With that, the waitress left and we were alone again.

I tucked my hair behind my ear and stared into Spencer's gorgeous brown eyes. "I forgot how nice everyone is here."

"The civvies are nice, but the diehard Rosewood residents are absolutely heinous, as you know. That's why we should only tell the girls, and maybe Melissa: I never wanna put you in any kind of danger, baby. Neither of you." Spencer whispered.

"Look at you, being all protective over me and the baby." I replied with a smile. "I love you, Spence."

"I love you too, babe. Happy wedding day." She exhaled, a twinkle in her eyes.

Just then, the waitress brought our drinks out to our table and set them down. To our surprise, she was followed by a team of two waiters carrying a fudge cheesecake with the words "Mrs. and Mrs. Hastings" written on it. Spence and I both gasped in tandem, before thanking them all profusely for this amazing gesture. One of them offered to take our photo, to which I handed him my cellphone and leaned in to kiss my wife.

When we let go of each other, I got my phone back and thanked them again, before watching them head back to the kitchen.

I locked eyes with Spencer, who just let out a little laugh when she saw my face. "Did that seriously just happen?"

"It did,"

"And did my lovely wife set this up?"

"I wish I had, but, nope." She laughed.

"Okay, you're probably gonna make fun of me for this, but I actually kinda missed the Rosewood atmosphere," I gripped her hand again.

She giggled. "No, I'm not gonna tease you. I feel the same way. I mean, we grew up here and all, and this town definitely had an impact on our developments, but I'd rather not subject our child to the same childhood, don't you think?"

"I couldn't agree more, hon," I replied.

"Hey, I wonder how Fitz and Kingston are?" Spencer smirked.

"I don't think I wanna know," I grimaced with a laugh,"maybe they embraced their inner gay and got together?"

"God, wouldn't that be absolutely hilarious?" She snickered.

"Yes. I can't even think about that douche. He took my virginity and squandered my teenage years." I sighed.

Spencer grasped my hand and pursed her mouth into a smile. "You don't have to go through any of that shit anymore. This is our special day, and I will fight him off with my own hands. That wouldn't be the first time I saved you, Montgomery."

"This is why I married you, Hastings. Well, that and the phenomenal sex, and the fact that we're soulmates, but whatever." I giggled. "Now, let's shut up and dig into the badass cheesecake."

"If it tastes half as good as it looks, I'll be comatose within the hour," she joked, leaning over the table to kiss me.

"Me, too. This baby gives me an excuse to eat whatever the hell I want." I proudly muttered, taking a bite of the rich goodness of the cake before us. "Christ, that's fantastic."

"Gimme some, girl," Spencer leaned forward. I smirked prior to picking up my fork and feeding her a bite from across the table. She licked the utensil clean, and moaned before I took it back. "Oh my god."

"I know, right?" I chuckled, wiping my bottom lip.

We sat there for nearly an hour before attempting to pay for our small meal consisting of only drinks and cheesecake. The staff wouldn't let us, and they told us that it was on the house. We thanked them again and walked out the door and down the street, hand in hand and completely enamored of each other.

"I used to love Rosewood at this time of day," I murmured, propping my head on her chest,"it's so peaceful."

Spencer and I sat down on a bench in a nearby park and watched the sun set, an immaculately flawless sight. "It's truly magnificent. What changed?"

"The air. The people, the weight. Everybody started getting so judgmental, and lies were the lingo around here." I sighed in reply. "I'm so, so glad we got out of here when we did."

"I am, too. I mean, I'm sitting with the love of my life, who I married today and who's gonna have our first baby in eight months. What more could I possibly ask for?" She wrapped her arms around me as a light zephyr tinged the air around us. I leaned into her chest and exhaled.

"You know, I don't think I ever told you this, but I tried to tell Fitz about who I really was. I wrote so much poetry for his class that suggested my lesbianism, hell I even set a picture of you and I as my cellphone screensaver. He either didn't notice, or he didn't want to care." I scoffed quietly.

Spencer kissed me and smiled. "I know how you feel. I tried to read as much of Sappho's works in front of my parents as I could, but they didn't care. After I landed myself in Radley, all they did was set me up with a douche from Poland. People only see what they wanna see, I guess."

"You read Sappho?" I inquired. "Nerd."

"What was that, dork? You used to write poetry about me!" She laughed.

"Honey, I've been gay since I learned what the term meant. The poems were just something like a bonus." I swatted her arm playfully.

We suddenly heard footsteps and giggling behind us, and turned around in sync. To our surprise, we saw Hanna Marin walking down the street with a mysterious figure beside her.

"Who the hell is that?" Spencer asked.

"Well, that's definitely Hanna; but, that dude...I can't tell," I strained my eyes as much as I could, but to no avail.

"Oh my god." She immediately scoffed when she realized who it was. "That's Ezra."

"You've got to be kidding." I groaned. "That douchebag pedophile strikes again. Let's go tail 'em."

"Uh, why? Isn't he kinda dangerous?" Spencer asked, a quiver lingering in her voice.

I shook my head. "He's a disgusting human being, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. Plus, I want to see where they're headed. Maybe Emily or Ali is waiting for them."

Before she could protest, I was up and crossing the street. She followed after me, finally catching up and gripping my arm as we walked. The two lovebirds kept walking until they got into his car and drove away, out of sight. We sighed in desperation, before seeing a nearby shop's lights turn on outside.

"Is that caffeine?!" Spencer exclaimed.

"Yes, my addict wife, it is. Do you want a cuppa?" I smirked. She nodded voraciously and we walked to the mysterious coffee shop at the corner.

As soon as we turned the corner and walked through the door, we were hit with a warm gust of air. The place was packed. The Rear-Window Brew as it was called had filled nearly every table in the petite joint.

We sauntered over to the counter and waited for the slender tan brunette to turn around to take our order. When she spoke, her voice sounded eerily familiar, but neither of us noticed. My hormones and Spence's lack of caffeine clouded our judgment.

"Can I take a house coffee, black?" She asked politely as I pecked her cheek.

"Uh, sure, just gimme one second. My boss is an asshole, and I'm working a twelve hour shift." The girl sighed.

I winced. "I'm sorry. Who the hell makes someone work that long?"

"Apparently—" she halted in her tracks as she turned around. When we saw her face, Spencer let go of my hand and we became pale as ghosts. There, before us, was Emily Fields. "Oh my god."

"Shit," Spencer murmured. We stepped away from the counter and prepared to bolt out the door.

"No! You two are NOT ditching us again! Not that easily!" She shouted. "When did you get back? When did you decide to meet up and take a girls trip to Rosewood, huh?"

"Emily, we can explain," I managed through the shock.

"Don't even try. Ezra's been worried sick about you, Aria, and so have your parents! Spencer, Wren just left the country! Don't you see what you guys did?!" She angrily yelled.

"Christ, just let that jackass worry while he's hooking up in a janitor's closet with Hanna Marin," I muttered, making Spencer laugh. She subconsciously reached for my hand under the table, which I accepted.

Emily growled, and stepped forward. "What the hell happened to you?! You're like a completely different person!"

"Hell yeah we are. Coming out of the closet does a lot of things, and changing you completely is part of the deal, Emily! Or have you forgotten?" Spencer huffed.

"W-what do you mean 'coming out of the closet?' You're...gay?!"

"Guilty," I smiled.

"And in love. And married." Spencer tacked on to the end of my statement. "Em, we've been this way forever. We finally found happiness with each other; I mean, Aria's my soulmate. Please, just let us go and live our lives. We want nothing from you or this damned town."

"No can do, Spencer. I don't care what you think you are, you are not leaving me again. And, Aria! What the hell were you thinking?! Leaving Ezra like that, and for a woman?" Emily scoffed derisively.

Spencer slipped her arm around my waist, and pointed at Emily irately. "You cannot talk to her like that. Do not blame her for being who she has always been! Jesus, Emily, she's my WIFE! I thought you'd understand more than anybody."

"What, that my former friend decided to one day out of the blue become a lesbian? I don't buy it." Emily yelled.

"Hey! She can't take all this stress right now! You need to shut up and let us live our lives." Spencer shouted in reply.

"Emily, if I didn't love Spencer, why would I risk everything to be with her? Why would we run away just to have a future together? Look, you probably don't understand, but we are going to stay by each other, until death do us part." I sniffled. "I really would rather not to start crying, but I'm really hormonal."

"Before you ask, we just did an IVF. Aria's pregnant, with our first baby." Spencer explained further.

"Jesus Christ, you guys make me sick. Why didn't you tell anyone?!" Emily screeched, blocking the door with her body.

I shed a tear and Spencer eyed me with utter sadness. Then, the blue turned to red, and the flames grew within her. "Listen, Emily: I can handle being yelled at, but if you target my wife, I will tear you apart. She doesn't deserve any of this, neither of us do. We shouldn't be berated for being who we always were, damnit!"

"Spencer's right. You aren't able to throw a single stone at us. Clearly it was a horrible mistake coming back to this insanely bigoted town, and we are going to leave now and never return, because we don't want anything from you." I added. By now, most of the customers in the Brew had shuffled out the back door, leaving us completely vulnerable.

"Don't you dare play the victim! You're not!" Emily screamed before she slapped me across the face. I raised my hand to my cheek in disbelief, and Spencer helped me maintain balance.

She tried her hardest to contain her anger, but when she heard my almost silent blubbering, she shoved past Emily, knocking her into the bar, and leading me outside. I tasted blood, and I reached for her hand through tears. We managed to make it to the car somehow, where Spencer took out the emergency kit she kept in the glove box. After cleaning the scratches on my face from Emily's various rings, I began crying into her shoulder.

"I-I...I never thought that...she'd act so heinous," I sobbed, clinging to her shirt.

"Baby, I am so sorry for putting you through that. I don't know what I was thinking—"

"S-stop. Don't blame yourself, you couldn't have known, Spence." I shook my head.

"I just-it's my job to keep you safe and protect you...and I guess I failed at it." She managed while crying.

I clutched her hand, and brought our linked hands between our bodies. "No. I will not let you beat yourself up for this, Spence. Nobody would've guessed that she'd act that cruel."

"Ar...I can't risk putting you in harm's way again, ever. I love you way too much to do that." She sniffled. "L-let's go home, and let's live our lives, as a normal married couple would do. Let's design a nursery, and daydream about our little bundle of joy in the making. I just wanna make you happy, baby."

"I've never been happier in my entire life. Take me home, away from this hellhole?" I asked.

She nodded, a weak smile gracing her thin lips. "Of course. We have a big day tomorrow."

"That we do, babe."


	4. Pending Arrival

"For God's sake," I murmured, hunched over the toilet, "kid, you have to calm down in there."

"Listen to your mummy," Spencer echoed from behind me, where she held my hair above my head.

It's the morning before our very first ultrasound appointment, and by morning, I mean morning. It's just after four in the morning, an ungodly hour in and of itself. Being pregnant means that every move you make is practically dictated by your little bundle of joy; and, behold, the little demagogue was sure as hell making their presence known. I got another knot in my stomach and began vomiting again.

It took nearly ten minutes for my stomach spasms to stop and my wife promptly carried me back to our bed. She had a warm washcloth in hand and began carefully draping it across my forehead. Her hoarse morning voice was coated with a sexy musk, which made this hour one of my favorites. She leaned over to kiss my head and tucked her head into my shoulder.

"Spence?" I whispered into the darkness of our bedroom after she began spooning me.

My wife perked up and smiled into my long chestnut locks`. "Yeah?"

"What d'you think the baby will look like?"

She sighed ebulliently. "I think they'll have soft cocoa brown eyes and dark hair, like yours. I hope they get your height, because it's fucking adorable to watch you stack five stools to reach Tupperware; and, maybe they'll have freckles. I know one thing: they'll be adorable, just like their mummy."

"I'd be offended," I began with a slight scoff,"but, I find it excruciatingly difficult to be pissed off at you."

"It's my dimples, isn't it?" She smirked.

I rolled over and nuzzled my head into my bosom. "Shh, I love you."

"I love you too, Pookie Bear," she laughed quietly to herself, and I playfully swatted at her exposed thigh.

She curled her slender leg around my waist and her breathing slowed and became steadier and steadier as the night lingered on. I, however, laid there contentedly in her loving arms. I was far too excited and nervous to fall back to sleep, so I wrapped my arm around my barely-rounded belly and sang a lullaby to the baby.

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad," I soothingly sang to myself and the little life growing within.

I continued the verse, rubbing soothing circles around my ever so slightly swollen abdomen. "Take a sad song and make it better; remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better."

I eventually made it to my favorite verse, and memories flooded into my mind from the early days. "Hey Jude, don't be afraid, you were made to go out and get her."

I sang this song to Spencer when we first began dating, after she had a nervous breakdown. Someone had found out about us. She was still crying when I sang her to sleep, the cadence lulling her closer to placidity. The very next day, I woke up with her tear-stained cheek pressed to mine, and that's when I knew I was going to marry this woman. Now, we have a baby on the way. This's our song.

"The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better," I mutter rhythmically, and I subsequently felt a short-lived flutter beneath my palm. Spencer stirs in her sleep and presses her hand against my stomach.

"They love your singing, babe," she sleepily yawns.

I blush a shade of vivid vermillion. "You're…awake?"

"I like hearing you talk to the baby. Plus, it helps ground me; I'd be less humble about having married a beautiful, smart woman if you weren't so pacific," she cooed into my ear.

"You're gonna make me cry." I whimpered with a strained giggle. "Shut up, and go to sleep."

She propped her head on her hand, her elbow digging into the pillow. "Whoa, domination. Sexy."

"Spencer: I. Love. You." I muttered between kisses, finally convincing her to roll over and pass out for a few more hours.

I then quietly resumed my humming, except I soon found myself crying as well. I didn't understand why I was sobbing so profusely, until I felt shifts of movement from both sides of my belly. The little one was quite active; or, perhaps, little ones. I remembered what my doctor had said about the possibility of multiple babies. The IVF we had performed only used two eggs, so the only real chance of multiples is two babies.

Twins.

That was the last thought in my mind before I fell asleep, hands resting on my belly. I could feel it: we were having twins.

•••

"A-A-A-Aria! Let's go-o-o-o," Spencer skipped around the bedroom, fully clothed, chanting at me to get my ass up in a singsong voice.

I tugged the covers over my head in response, peering out at her through a crease in the duvet. "It's early. The sun can't even give two—"

"Please, baby. I want to see our little one!" She plopped herself beside me and hugged the mass of covers I was enveloped within. "I'll go make breakfast. You want french toast, blackberries, and spice syrup, right?"

"That sounds orgasmic," I moaned shamelessly as my bedhead emerged from the bundle of flannel sheets. I received a sweet kiss before opening my eyes and hearing her departing footsteps.

Naturally, her affection coaxed me to get out of bed and sprint to the bathroom for a shower. I stood under the stream of warm water for a few moments, washing as I went. I then dressed and bolted downstairs after I smelled the welcoming scent of pumpkin spice and fresh fruit. My health nut wife always had fresh produce in the house, which my cravings made me appreciate as the pregnancy progressed. I slid into the kitchen with my socks and ended up meeting Spencer in the middle. She got an armful of my bed head and laughed.

"Whoa, someone's hungry," she giggled, walking me over to the island and pulling out my chair for me.

"Damn straight." I mumbled prior to shoving a forkful of French toast into my mouth. Her arms snaked around my body and I relaxed into her embrace. "Hey, Spence?"

"Hm?"

"I'll bet you ten bucks we are having a girl," I smirked, tilting my head up and dropping blueberries down my throat. She laughed and shook my hand before leaving to warm up the car.

Before we knew it, we were at the hospital waiting for a checkin. We anxiously awaited hearing my name called by the receptionist, and my leg bounced up and down. Spencer's hand snaked over and rested on my thigh, and thus my stress melted away. I smirked at her and pecked her on the cheek.

"You've always had that affect on women," I mumbled, fiddling with her fingers.

She cocked her head. "And what would that be?"

"Hastings, Aria?"

We hastily stood up and walked to the back office, where my OB/GYN sat in a swivel office chair, a smile plastered on her welcoming face. After the nurse closed her door, she immediately hugged us tightly and whispered congratulations. She took our hands and led us to the table and chairs across from her own seat.

"My favorite patients have finally made it!" Lisa giggled happily.

Spencer sniffled and hugged me close. "Thank you, Lisa. For everything. We finally get to see our love multiply, all thanks to you."

"Ugh, you're gonna make me cry. This is expensive mascara." Lisa fanned aggressively at her eyes. "I'll go grab Aria's required tests and I'll be back in a few."

Within a few moments, she had returned. She was just as eager as we were to officially gte this proces underway. I drew blood, peed in a cup, and took just about every other medical test on the planet. Doctor Kent rushed those to the lab and talked our ears off as we waited. She babbled on about maternity clothes, nursery bits and bobs, newborn onesies, and more. Finally after twenty minutes, a nurse returned with my test results. When her eyes widened, i became worried; but, then, her smile did as well.

"Well, would you look at that," she grinned whilst scanning my records.

Spencer and I eagerly awaited a response, my hands becoming clammy against hers. "Lisa? Is everything alr—"

"All's great! You'll be able to carry full term and give birth naturally as far as I can tell. And, though we can't perform an ultrasound just yet, I can just about guarentee that they both are extremely healthy." The doctor handed us the papers and we became wide-eyed and mute in record time.

Spencer was the first to speak. "B-both? As in…"

"Twins," I whispered, hugging her,"as in, twins."

* * *

 **A/N: I know, I'm sorry. I'm a few days late, please forgive me. I'm dating a hopeless romantic, and we like to cuddle, which makes we 1,000,000x less productive. I'm finally happy, let me live;)**

 **So, cute Sparia plus twins makes FOUR. And, The Beatles. I have hit my status quo for life, goodnight.**

 **Xx,**

 **Dee**


	5. The House of Hastings, Love, and Joy

"Okay, okay, no peeking," Spencer giggled as she led me up the stairs of our home. Her hand served as an impromptu blindfold, and I was walking around in complete darkness.

I held her hand and smiled as we approached the end of the long corridor upstairs. As we had been living in this house for over a year now, I memorized the layout. I reminisced about when we first found the place, a hidden gem in northern Philadelphia. It's grey exterior charmed us both immediately, and the location was perfect for our needs. The tall Victorian towers and the white picket fence added curb appeal to the miniature mansion, and we were already falling under its siren call.

When Spencer and I first ditched out on Rosewood, we drove southbound for several hours, trying to keep that damned town out of our rearview mirror. We had no idea where we were going, what was going to happen, and what we were going to do about the essentials of living. None of that mattered to us, though. We were two young women in love, and we had each other after long last. Nothing stood between us any longer. We could be ourselves, finally.

We finally found a decrepit old apartment for rent in a shockingly terrifying neighborhood, and we made it work. Spence and I went to university via grants and scholarships, got our degrees, and moved on to bigger things. When we both found careers that would more than sustain us, we decided to start searching for a better place to live: and we found it. Our home, the place we would start our family in.

"Spence, this really isn't helping with the nausea," I muttered as we turned a corner.

She suddenly halted and hugged me close to her body. "Sorry."

"No biggie. So, what's this big surprise?" I laughed in reply to her nonchalant comment. She smirked before letting her hand drop from over my eyes, and I gasped at the sight before me.

In the formerly empty room in front of me, my wife had made a nursery. It was so beautiful, every detail wove its way into our hearts, personalities, and souls. I stepped into the room to take a better look, and my eyes immediately filled to the brim with tears. The pink drapes covering the gothic window, the gorgeous furniture strategically placed throughout the space, the mobiles hanging from the ceiling, took over my senses. The changing table in the corner was topped with satin teddy bears and soft white diapers. The two bassinets were adorned with baby pink sheets and monogrammed pillows. Everything was so, so perfect.

"Surprise," she whispered, her hands linked behind her back as she blushed into the moment.

"Oh, my-oh my GOD, Spence!" I exclaimed. "How the-how did you do all this? It's perfect! Actually, it's better than perfect, but there's no freaking word in the English language to accurately describe how incredible this is!"

"I thought you'd like it." She grinned, stepping closer to me. "One of my coworkers is totally into nurseries, so I asked her to help me surprise you. I knew you were beginning to stress out about the nursery, and I sincerely dislike seeing you anything other than happy, so I decided to fix a little something up."

"Spencer, this isn't just a little something—you monogrammed the sheets." I chuckled with glee before rushing into her arms. "Thank you so much, baby. You're the best wife anyone could ever ask for. I love you."

"I love you too, Ar. Anything for my girls." She leaned down to kiss my protruding belly. "How are they?"

I smiled and sighed happily before replying. "Faye is kicking my rib cage, and Guin is elbowing my side. But, all's good. They're healthy, and that's all I can hope for."

She knelt onto the carpeted floor of the nursery and laid her head on my stomach. "Let's try not to hurt your mummy too much, okay girls? We both love you very much."

"That we do, baby girls," I murmured, placing my hand over one of hers.

Then, I felt a tiny foot press into my skin, and I smiled down at Spencer in ecstatic anxiety. "That was Faye. She's gonna play soccer if I have anything to do with it."

"We have a future in sports now, huh?" She cooed towards my belly. Spencer then stood up and stared into my eyes. "Are you excited?"

"Extremely," I replied, walking over to one of the bassinets and picking up a teddy bear. "Four more weeks until we meet our girls."

"Ar, we're gonna be mothers to twin girls in a month," she anxiously breathed into the cool air.

I laid my hands on my stomach. "God, I know. It's so...surreal: having babies with the woman I love. Do we have everything ready to go?"

"Go-bag's at the front door, the stroller and diaper bag are in the garage. We're good." She answered. "Hopefully, Guin and Faye will stay put for a few more weeks."

"I sincerely hope so. Knowing our kids, they'll be tenacious even from the womb. That's the Hastings way, right?" I chuckled.

She laughed along with me and nodded. "That it is, Ar. But, if it's alright with you, I'd rather not raise our children using the same tactics my parents used to raise me. Too strict."

"That sounds perfect. You will be a wonderful mother, no matter what. Like you said before, this gig is meant for us: Team Sparia," I giggled in reply.

Later that night, we were snuggled up on our love seat with a bucket of popcorn, her head resting on my bump and my fingers in her hair. Occasionally, she'd press a kiss to wherever she felt the babies' feet or elbows.

We watched a new movie every Thursday after work, and tonight's selection just so happened to be "The Great Gatsby." Obviously, Spencer picked it out, as I adored the book and abhorred most movie adaptations. She convinced me to sit tight and bear with her as the opening credits rolled onto the screen.

Within the hour, I was bawling and was surrounded by several used and crumpled up tissues. Just as the end was about to roll around and Jay was climbing into his lavish pool outside his extravagant mansion in a manner ever so ominous, I felt a strange sensation course throughout my body.

"Uh...Spence?" I whispered, staring forward. "How much longer is this movie supposed to play?"

"It's almost over. Why? Have you run through the tissues already? We might have to use bathroom tissues soon," she laughed in reply, taking my hand in hers.

"No, I'm good on tissues. It's just...you know what, never mind," I shook my head before seeing my wife pause the movie and turn towards me.

She set the remote down and eyed me with suspicion. "Alright, something's bothering you, and I don't like seeing you uncomfortable. Aria, what's going—"

"I just felt contractions, and I think my water's about to break," I murmured, cutting her off mid-question. I saw her eyes widen with shock and she gripped my hand tighter.

"Seriously?" She managed to whisper through the shock. I nodded. "W-what should we do? Do you want me to take you down to the hospital? Oh god."

"No, it's okay. I can handle it for now. Let's just finish the movie," I shook my head.

"Uh...Aria, you're going into labor. Gatsby can wait," she chuckled nervously.

"I know, babe. We'll go when my water breaks, okay?" I readjusted the pillow behind me and leaned into it until I felt comfortable.

Spencer smiled down at me and kissed my head. "Whatever you want, Ar. I love you."

"I love you, too, Spence. But...uh..."

"But what? Are you alright?" She asked, fear lingering in her voice.

"My water just broke. They're coming. Our girls are coming," I gasped sharply, standing up off the couch.

Spencer soon followed and we got all necessary items before we left the house and began driving to the hospital. Once we actually arrived, I was told that an epidural was recommended, and I immediately complied. We both regretted it when the needle found its way into my spinal cord, numbing me from the waist down.

After hours upon hours of pushing and screaming into the air around me, Spencer and I both heard the one thing we had been waiting for our entire lives. Faye's cries echoed throughout the room, and I sobbed happily at the sudden realization that I had become a mother. Soon after, Guinevere emerged and was swaddled in a blanket and handed to me in my left arm, as I cradled Faye in my right.

My doctor snapped a picture of the four of us prior to giving us some space. We cried and cried as we eyed our baby girls. They're perfect: dark hair, brown as a bear's coat, pale skin as like snow on the ground, and bright hazel eyes, just like both their mummies had.

"Hi, baby girl. Guin, you wanna go see your Mum? Yeah, let's go see Mama," I cooed as I passed Guinevere, the smaller of the twins, into my wife's arms. I held Faye to my chest, where she immediately fell asleep.

"Aria, oh my god...they're so, so perfect. You did it—I'm so proud of you, baby. We have a family," Spence cried after Guinevere grasped her ring finger in her tiny pink hand.

"I've been waiting for you to say that for...well, forever," I leaned in to kiss her. Our first kiss as parents was magical, as was the feeling of holding our tiny children in our arms.

Spencer watched as Guin began to get fussy, and she immediately calmed the tempest with a quick Eskimo kiss. "Do you wanna call anyone? Mike and Lila, maybe?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea. Would you get the birth certificates started?" I asked. She nodded and laid Guinevere down in the plastic bassinet beside my hospital cot.

I picked up my phone and dialled Mike's number into the keypad, and he sounded flustered when he picked up. Then, I heard my nephew's cries in the background, and I smiled.

"Hello?" He asked into the device, his voice wavering with anxiety and frustration.

"Mike? It's Aria," I grinned in reply to his query.

"Hey, sis. What's up?" He inquired with an exhale.

I took a breath prior to speaking. "Spence and I are in hospital...and there are some very special little ladies we'd love you to meet."

"Oh my god, you had the twins? Congratulations! When?!" He exclaimed happily.

I giggled and kissed Spencer before replying. "Thanks. And, about twenty minutes ago. They're doing great, perfectly healthy."

"That's fantastic! What're their names?"

"Faye Sloane and Guinevere Calliope Hastings." I smiled, rocking Faye in my arms. "Would you want to come see us? I'd love to see Liam and Lila again."

"Those are beautiful. And absolutely, I'll get everyone in the car and we'll be there in a bit," he said.

"Thanks, Mike. We'll see you soon," I replied before hanging up the phone.

Once I did so, I signed the birth certificates with Spencer beside me. Our signatures flew onto the pages with a surprising alacrity, us feeling the ever-present need to make our daughters' births official to the state of Pennsylvania. Both Guin and Faye had been taken to the nursery, and Spencer laid down beside me.

"I'm going to Facebook the hell out of this moment," she laughed, tucking stray strands of hair behind my ear.

A smile crept onto my lips. "Great idea, Mama."

"Thanks, Mummy," she grinned in reply.

She pulled out her phone as I curled up closer to her thin frame and began typing into the Facebook text box.

'So extremely ecstatic to announce that the Hastings-Montgomery family has become significantly larger as of late! Our twins Faye Sloane and Guinevere Calliope Hastings were born nearly an hour ago, Faye weighing five pounds on the mark, and Guin coming in at four pounds and nine ounces. Our little miracles are finally here, and we are so incredibly proud to be Mummy and Mama Hastings. On behalf of Aria and the twins, who are doing absolutely fantastic, thank you to our wonderful close family and friends for the unwavering support and love!'

About fifteen minutes later after I fed the twins, Spencer's phone began buzzing. Apparently, someone had seen her post on Facebook, and we could expect one of two potential reactions to the joyous news: utter ire, or complete congratulatory buoyancy. When she checked her private messages, she sighed.

"Oh, shit," she muttered.

"Oh god, what's wrong, babe?" I held my hand against her upper arm.

She blew air through her teeth and slumped back against the wall behind her. "A member of my asshole family strikes again."

She then showed me her phone and I read the message from none other than Veronica Hastings.

'It seems to me that we need to talk. If you don't come to me, I'm coming to you.'

Spencer decided to type a message in reply, spite radiating off her like a nuclear reactor.

'Perhaps we do, though I'd rather not have you bring me down, especially now when I'm finally happy. I'm not going to leave my wife and daughters alone, so you can come to me. Room 114A, Philadelphia Presbyterian.'

The girls were asleep in our arms, Faye with Spence and Guin with me, when she decided to speak. "God, I love you so much, Ar. You, and our baby girls. I'm so glad I have you."

"I love you too, Spence. I'm sure Guin and Faye do already as well. You're my wife, my world, and whatever we have to do to keep our family safe and happy, we'll do," I answered, pressing my plump lips to her thin ones in a passionate kiss.

"Hey, why don't you get some rest? You've had a really long day, babe. I'll hold the girls," Spencer offered, which I promptly accepted. Within five minutes, I was soundly asleep, and Spencer held Guin while Faye decided to fall asleep in the hospital bassinet.

When I woke up, Mike and Lila were in our room as well, and Liam was reaching up towards a sleeping Faye. Lila immediately wrapped her arms around me and engulfed me in a hug, and Mike soon followed suit. I greeted my small nephew before turning back to my wife, who handed me Guinevere gently.

"Aria, they are just the cutest things!" Lila exclaimed, her hand resting on my shoulder. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Lil," Spencer grinned as we gazed at each other.

"Crap. How long was I out?" I asked, rocking my fussy daughter in my shaky arms.

Spencer sat down beside me and tucked my hair behind my left ear. "Only two hours. Trust me, I would've let the nurse sedate you if it meant you'd have gotten more sleep."

I giggled at her comment and watched as Lila held Liam and Mike took both of them into his arms. He looked so...happy. Happier than he ever was at home, our old home at least. My little brother had the family he always wanted, and I did, too.

"Hey, Spence?" I tried to grab her attention.

"Hm? What's wrong, babe?"

"Did...did your mother ever IM you back? Is she gonna barrel into the room at some point, or not?" I laughed as I attempted to get the question out.

Obviously, my wife didn't exactly want to answer that query of mine right then, so she proceeded to change the subject once again. "Have I ever told you that you have the cutest laugh?"

"Not gonna work, Spencer. Nice try," I smirked up at her, feeling Guinevere relax in my arms and fall asleep.

"Fine. She did, actually. Last I checked, she was on her way to verbally abuse me, my wife, and my daughters in a crowded maternity ward, so I tried not to think about it too much," she sighed.

"Hey, don't worry about your asshole mother. I'll protect you," I snickered, stroking her cheek.

"I know you will, but trust me when I say that this is in no way your battle to fight," she answered.

"What if I wanna be in the fray?"

"Well," she kissed me,"then I guess I can't stop you."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello after all these years;))**

 **Sorry for not updating earlier this week. Midterms are approaching rapidly and I am trying to avoid being that dropout. Also, my special human and I decided to hang out and watch Supernatural yesterday so, I obviously accomplished nothing. Forgive me, Luci, for I have sinned.**

 **On another note, the twins are too cute (well, they are in my head)! Two little girls! Just a hint, I have been studying United Kingdom linguistics for the past two weeks for accuracy in the next chapter;) Prepare for some Brit humor, and I apologize if I offend anyone (don't hate me I really wanna get into Aberystwyth).**

 **Xx,**

 **Dee**


	6. Mommy Dearest

Suddenly, after several hours of waiting and being terrified of what was to come, a quiet and apprehensive knock was heard at the door of the room we stayed in. Spence and I locked eyes before she stood up and unlocked the door. It took a moment, but Veronica Hastings walked into the room at last, her steps slow and her eyes clenched seemingly in rage. Then, we saw what exactly she held.

A bouquet of flowers, gorgeous and bright, was in her left hand, and in her right, she held two balloons and two cream-colored teddies. On the baby pink balloons in a bold font, 'It's a Girl!' was written; and, the bag she carried on her shoulder contained even more surprises for her newborn granddaughters.

My mother in law set everything down on the table beside the doorway prior to speaking in a hushed whisper. "I'm sorry I'm late, I just had to stop by the supermarket...and Party City, and Babies-R-Us..."

"You...actually did all this for us, Mom?" Spencer stood up and stepped closer to her mother.

"Well, yeah, of course, I did. I mean, I'm sorry if I scared you with my Facebook messages, I really am, but you're my daughter," her thumbs twirled around a strand of her ever so thin hair.

I looked at my wife with relief in my eyes, before shifting my gaze to Veronica. "Mrs Hastings, I'm sorry we didn't tell you about, well, everything. Thank you for coming despite all that."

"Please, honey, call me Veronica. I can see it in both of your eyes: the love you have for one another. I never thought I'd have a daughter in law, but I'm so glad I do. And, I'm very glad it's you, Aria," she sniffled as she leaned in to hug me.

When she let go of me, Spencer embraced her mother as well. "Thanks, Mom. How are things back in Rosewood? How're Dad and Melissa?"

"Spencer, your father and I split up about a month ago. He's gone, I'm sorry to say. Melissa has started dating Wren, the boy from Poland I set you up with...when I thought you were straight." She slowed her sentence to a halt when she realized what she had said. "Oh, Jesus, I still haven't apologized for that, right? Sorry."

"Mom, it's alright. You meant well." Spencer's eyebrows sunk inward and she smiled with sympathy at her mother. "So, I'm thinking that it's time you met our daughters."

Tears began welling up in her eyes. "I'd like that."

Spencer turned to me and leaned in to kiss my satin lips. "Babe, I'm gonna go get the girls from the nursery. I'll be back in a few."

"Okay, I love you," I smiled in reply after kissing her.

After she left the room, I glanced over at my mother in law with a grin. She returned the gesture and got up to sit at the end of the cot.

"How are you feeling? Was everything okay?" She asked tenderly.

I nodded. "I'm a little sore, but I'm too excited to think about anything but my precious baby girls. I still can't believe that, after all these years, Spence and I have the family we always dreamed we would have."

"Oh, honey," she hugged me again,"I am so happy for you and my daughter. Motherhood is a beautiful thing, and I am so glad you get to experience it together."

"Thank you, Veronica. For...everything: being here, not tearing my head off, and accepting Spencer's and my relationship," I murmured into the quietude before me.

"I wouldn't miss meeting my daughter in law and my grand babies for the world, Aria. You are family, and you will always have me." Her smile widened. "But...I have to ask, where's your mother? I'm sure Ella would like to be here as well."

I sighed and gripped my blankets. "My mother...she doesn't want to see me. Ever. She doesn't know that I got married, had the babies, nothing. I called her after immediately I found out we were pregnant with the intention of telling her, and she basically yelled at me before I could tell her anything."

"Oh, god, honey. I am so sorry. You don't deserve to be treated like that." She gripped my hand like only a mother would. "I'm gonna call her and give her a piece of my mind."

"You can try. She's quite irrational, though."

Before I could close my mouth, Veronica had dialled my mother's cell phone number and was pacing around the room waiting for her to answer. When she did, I shut my eyes in order to avoid dizzying myself to the point of passing out.

Veronica's POV:

I was pissed. I wanted to slaughter that woman for doing that to my daughter in law. Though I just found out that she's technically part of my family, I already loved her as though she had been forever. When the phone ceased ringing and Ella's voice boomed through the speaker, I tried my hardest to remain calm.

"This is Ella Montgomery in the English department, how may I help you?" Aria's mother asked with a plastic sense of glee.

I inhaled angrily. "Ella, this is Veronica Hastings."

"Veronica? Why are you calling me?" She scoffed. We hadn't spoken since our girls ran away, but her coldness still shocked me.

"I'm calling to tell you that my Spencer and Aria—"

"Don't speak to me about her, Veronica! I don't want to talk about it!" She suddenly shouted at me, ire radiating off her voice like a nuclear reactor.

"Jesus, calm down! If you would just be quiet and listen, maybe you wouldn't have missed out on one of the most important moments in your daughter's life!" I replied, just as angrily.

Her voice got softer and her rushed exhale was heard. "What are you talking about? How would you even know what that little bitch has been up to?"

"Do not call her that! I'm with her and Spencer while she's in hospital, she's fine by the way, not like you care." I rolled my eyes.

Suddenly, my own daughter walked through the door and I watched as Aria's face lit up at the sight of her wife carrying both their daughters. Tears flooded into my eyes when one of the girls was passed to my daughter in law, who promptly kissed her wife in reply.

"Oh my god...Spencer, Aria, they're absolutely beautiful!" I exclaimed upon hearing them begin to cry.

"Thanks, Mom, but I think my wife deserves all the credit," Spencer laughed, kissing Faye on the forehead.

"Who's beautiful?! What the hell are you talking about?!" I heard Ella yell at me over the phone.

"Oh, nothing, just my gorgeous granddaughters. If I were you, I'd be so proud of your daughter, Ella. I'm certainly proud of my daughter in law and my own little girl. Goodbye." And with that, I hung up.

The remainder of my time in hospital with my girls was spent being a mother like I never was before. My baby girl had two baby girls, and I became a grandmother. It was all I ever could have asked for. They're so, so happy together—a family worth coveting.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Merry almost Christmas, you filthy animals.**

 **Sorry for the delay and the short chapter, but I had midterm exams. That shit's stressful. Plus, I went to see my special human's art programme (which was incredible in case anyone was wondering). Midterms are over, mark scores are in, and the holidays are approaching fast. Wish me luck, and I'll hopefully not out myself to everyone in my god-forsaken family.**

 **Also, I need help with the next chapter: should I do a major time rupture (like five years), or should I begin slowly? I've been researching (and making my poor gf help) some aspects of a certain region wherein the rest of the Hastings' lives will take place. It's gonna be some stereotypical Downton Abbey-esque shizzle because I kid you not, all my university advisors live like this.**

 **Adios, bitches.**

 **Xx,**

 **Dee**


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